Tomato prices soar to Rs 600 per kg in Pakistan amid clashes with Afghanistan

Trade freeze sparks soaring prices

Border closures between Pakistan and Afghanistan have sharply driven up the cost of essential goods in both countries, with tomatoes in Pakistan now priced at five times their usual rate since clashes erupted earlier this month.

The crossings have remained shut since October 11, after ground fighting and Pakistani airstrikes along their disputed 2,600-kilometre (1,600-mile) border left dozens dead on both sides, marking the worst violence since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021.

“All trade and transit have been blocked since the fighting erupted,” Khan Jan Alokozay, head of the Pak-Afghan Chamber of Commerce in Kabul, told Reuters on Thursday. “With each passing day, both sides are losing around $1 million.”

The two nations typically trade in fresh fruit, vegetables, minerals, medicine, wheat, rice, sugar, meat, and dairy products, amounting to around $2.3 billion annually.

Tomato prices, a staple in Pakistani cuisine, have surged by more than 400% to roughly 600 Pakistani rupees ($2.13) per kilogram, while Afghan apples are also becoming more expensive.

“We have around 500 containers of vegetables for export daily, all of which have spoiled,” Alokozay said.

At the main Torkham border crossing in northwest Pakistan, a Pakistani official said roughly 5,000 containers of goods remain stranded on both sides. “There is already a shortage of tomatoes, apples and grapes in the market,” he added.

Pakistan’s commerce ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

The clashes began after Islamabad demanded that Kabul crack down on militants launching attacks into Pakistan from Afghan territory, accusations the Taliban have denied.

A ceasefire, agreed during talks hosted by Qatar and Turkey last weekend, is currently holding, but border trade remains suspended. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for October 25 in Istanbul.

(With Reuters input)